What to expect from SCOTUS on the freedom to marry in June’s final days

June 24, 2015

Across the country, supporters of the freedom to marry are eagerly awaiting a decision from the United States Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, the legal cases emanating from Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee seeking the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide.

A ruling is expected within the next week - before the end of June - and the decision could end marriage discrimination nationwide, once and for all.

The Supreme Court has three days currently scheduled where it will issue opinions at 10:00am. Opinions are scheduled to be published on Thursday, June 25; Friday, June 26; and Monday, June 29. On any of these days, the marriage opinion could be issued, but we won't know until it is announced.

We don't know what the outcome of the ruling will be, but the Freedom to Marry team is hopeful. The lawyers in favor of marriage for same-sex couples made strong, compelling legal arguments, and Freedom to Marry and our supporters continues to make the strongest case possible in the court of national public opinion.

There are three primary possible outcomes when the Justices issue their ruling:

The Court could rule for the freedom to marry nationwide by declaring that it is unconstitutional to bar same-sex couples from marriage.

The Court could rule that non-marriage states must respect marriages legally performed elsewhere, but that those states do not need to issue marriage licenses themselves.

The Court could rule that marriage bans do not violate the Constitution and that non-marriage states do not have to respect the legal marriages of same-sex couples.

We know you're excited and anxious about this decision - and we're ready to be there to help guide you through the big day.

Freedom to Marry was the campaign to win marriage nationwide. With the Supreme Court victory on June 26, 2015, the work of this strategic campaign – though not the larger movement – was achieved, and Freedom to Marry wound down its operations, closing in early 2016. For inquiries, please email legacy@freedomtomarry.org.